Toilet seat fastener



March 4, 1969 J. E. SCHELL TOILET SEAT FASTENER Filed June 9, 1967 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,431,004 TOILET SEAT FASTENER James E. Schell, P.O. Box 91, Clute, Tex.

Filed June 9, 1967, Ser. No. 644,988 U.S. Cl. 292258 Int. Cl. A471: 13/24; B65d 45/20 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This invention is related to clamp securing devices and more particularly to devices for securing toilet lids.

Description of the prior art Ever since the advent of the water closet toilet, small children have been inclined to play in the water standing in the toilet bowl. This is, of course, unsanitary and the cause of many plumbing stoppage problems. It is also dangerous. There are known cases of small children falling head first into toilet bowls and drowning because of their inability to remove themselves from such a predicament.

Various devices have been designed for holding the toilet seat and lid closed to prevent children from playing in the toilet bowl. U.S. Patent 3,024,472 disc oses a locking post device. U.S. Patent 3,048,854 discloses a strap device. U.S. Patent 3,056,972 shows an adjustable arm post clamp. U.S. Patent 3,116,527 shows a sliding clip arrangement. Although these devices perform the job of holding the toilet lid closed, they present some problems. They are not quickly and easily releasable and some are quite unsightly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an easy to use spring clamp device. It is clamped to the toilet bowl by a rigid clamp. A rotatable arm is resiliently attached to the rigid clamp. An adult may easily rotate the arm into or out of engagement with the toilet lid. However, a small child cannot move the arm once it is engaged. Thus, the invention combines the safety feature of any toilet lid clamp with ease of operation in an economically made device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 1 is an elevation in partial section showing an embodiment of the invention installed on a toilet engaging the toilet lid;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing the embodiment of FIGURE 1 disengaged from the toilet lid; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail drawing of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGURE 1, the toilet lid fastener of the invention, designated generally at 10, is shown attached to a toilet bowl 1 and engaging the toilet lid 2 and seat 3 to prevent opening thereof by small children.

A full understanding of fastener may be attained by ICC referring to FIGURE 3. A rigid strap clamp 12 is shaped to engage the inner flange of a toilet bowl. In the embodiment shown clamp 12 is made of two portions 13 and 14 joined by connection means 15. Connection means 15 may be a rivet, screw, or other suitable means. Portions 13 and 14 may be assembled in position on the toilet bowl and then connected by connection means 15 for positive attachment. It may be appreciated that clamp 12 may be made from one piece in which case it will be dependent on resiliency to clamp to the toilet bowl.

The end of clamp portion 14 on the exterior of the toilet bowl lies in a generally horizontal plane. A vertical hole is provided at 16 in which a rotating arm 17 is slidingly inserted. Arm 17 has a shank portion 18 and a cantilevered engaging portion 19 and may be made by bending a steel rod to the configuration shown so that shank portion 18 and engaging portion 19 are generally at right angles to each other. A rubber tip 20 is slipped over the end of portion 19 and lift ring 21 welded near the upper end of portion 18. The function of these will be subsequently explained.

A helically wound spring 22 surrounds the lower end of shank portion 18. Spring 22 is held in position by the lower side of clamp portion 14 and a nut and washer arrangement 23 screwed to the end of shank portion 18. Thus, arm 17 is biased against upward movement relative to clamp portion 14 by spring 22.

To better understand the use of the invention, reference is also made to FIGURE 2. Strap clamp 12 is attached to toilet bowl flange 30 as previously described. Arm 17 is shown in its disengaged position, portion 19 extending outwardly of toilet bowl flange 30. The toilet seat and lid are lowered into closed position as shown in FIGURE 1. By placing a finger into lift ring 21, arm 17 may be forced upwardly against spring 22 and rotated to the position shown in FIGURE 1, arm portion 19 engaging toilet lid 3. Rubber tip 20 prevents scratching the surface of lid 3. Spring 22 is selected to exert a force that may be overcome by adults but defies movement of arm 17 by small children. Thus, it can be seen how the invention blocks childrens access to the toilet bowl, yet is easily and quickly operable by adults to allow raising toilet seat 2 and lid 3.

Although only a single preferred embodiment of the invention has been described variations thereof may be easily attained by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention and it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only by the claims which follow. Although the claims may be presented in indented format to facilitate reading and understanding of the claims, such indented format is not to be construed as a structural or functional limitation of the elements or steps recited in such claims.

I claim:

1. A device for securing a toilet lid in closed position comprising:

a rigid clamp means for attaching said device to the flange of a toilet bowl, said clamp means having a generally vertical hole therethrough outside of said toilet bowl,

an engagement arm slidingly positioned in said vertical hole of said clamp means, said engagement arm having a shank portion and engagement portion and being rotatable about the axis of said shank portion to alternately move said engagement portion into or out of engagement with said toilet lid; and

spring means cooperating between said clamp means and said engagement arm to bias said engagement arm against disengagement from said toilet lid.

2. The combination of claim 1, and

lifting means attached to said engagement arm to over- 3 4 come said bias to allow disengagement of said arm References Cited from said toilet lid. UNITED STATES PATENTS 3. The device of claim 1 in Which said clamp mCElIlS 2 51 053 9/1953 Rowe 4, 253 has a first portion and a second portion connected by con- 2, 9 ,439 1 1955 Bruckner 4 253 nection means, said first portion engaging the inner lip 5 3,116,527 1/1969 Springer 4-253 of said toilet bowl flange, said second portion containing Said generally vertical ho1e MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

4. The device of claim 1 in which said spring means E. J. MCCARTHY, Assistant Examiner. surrounds said shank portion of said engagement arm 10 and is retained by said clamp means and retaining means 2481, 263; 4-253 on said shank portion. 

